Winter has always been a tough one for me. The snow is beautiful, and I don’t always mind the cold… but come March I am itching to see the sun and hear the birds chirping outside my window.

When I stumbled on an article that claimed the key to happily combating long and harsh winters is through a Danish “art form” (yes, they consider it so) called hygge, I was intrigued. Very roughly, hygge (pronounced “hoo-guh”) is translated to “coziness.” But it is more of a way of life than it is a word or phrase. Hygge is all about enjoying those cozy socks, the light of beautiful candles, a delicious cup of hot chocolate. It’s finding joy and happiness – an overall sense of wellbeing – from the “little” comfy, cozy things in every day.

This morning I woke up with the intention of working out. But as I was running around getting a few things checked off my to-do list, I realized I was just a tad too late to squeeze in the challenging work out I was craving. Instead of beating myself up about it (which you should never do, btw) or rushing through it, I rearranged my schedule after work to fit it in. Then I turned my attention to making the best use of time that I had left at home before heading into work.

What that meant today?

Experimenting with hygge, of course! And I’ve got to say, it was well worth it. As the sun slowly started to rise, I cuddled with my pup next to the light of the Christmas tree and read my book. In the moment, I don’t think I could have asked for much more.

Now… I may not be fully trained in this Danish art but I AM more than willing to channel my inner hygge-loving self for the purpose of health and happiness. Especially after opening myself up to the experience of it this morning. This year instead of latching onto how miserably cold it is outside, or feeling down about the fact that it is dark out all the time, I will be enjoying the hell out of my freshly brewed coffee in the morning and my freakishly hot shower. Not to mention breaking out all the fuzzy socks and pajamas.

Will you join me?

xoxo,

Zoe Lauryn